This document contains two articles about donkey and mule reproduction and healthcare scenarios. The first article discusses common medical situations that veterinarians may encounter with donkeys and mules, highlighting differences from horses like increased pain tolerance and anatomical variations. The second article summarizes donkey reproductive anatomy and physiology, noting both similarities like estrus cycles but also differences from horses such as longer cervixes in female donkeys.
This document contains two articles about donkey and mule reproduction and healthcare scenarios. The first article discusses common medical situations that veterinarians may encounter with donkeys and mules, highlighting differences from horses like increased pain tolerance and anatomical variations. The second article summarizes donkey reproductive anatomy and physiology, noting both similarities like estrus cycles but also differences from horses such as longer cervixes in female donkeys.
This document contains two articles about donkey and mule reproduction and healthcare scenarios. The first article discusses common medical situations that veterinarians may encounter with donkeys and mules, highlighting differences from horses like increased pain tolerance and anatomical variations. The second article summarizes donkey reproductive anatomy and physiology, noting both similarities like estrus cycles but also differences from horses such as longer cervixes in female donkeys.
Donkey and Mule Scenarios: When to Stop, Think, Read or Call
Donkey Reproduction
Donkey and Mule Scenarios: When to Stop, Think, Read or Call by By: Tex Taylor, DVM, and ora Matthe!s, DVM "source: #resented durin$ the %&&% AA'# Annual Con(ention, )rlando, *la+ , Nationwide, equine (or more accurately descried, horse! practitioners are recei"in# requests to pro"ide pro$essional ser"ices to donkey and mule owners% This trend is e&pected to continue% Many "eterinarians are reluctant to respond to some o$ these requests ecause they don't understand the di$$erences amon# horses, mules and o$ten, the di$$erent si(es o$ donkeys% )ach "eterinarian must reali(e he or she has een well*trained to treat all memers o$ the equine species% The diseases and conditions a$$ectin# these animals are the same% Certainly, there are "ariations in how each species may demonstrate clinical si#ns, ut not in mana#in# or treatin# the condition% +ne o$ the most critical points is to reali(e that mules and donkeys ha"e a markedly etter tolerance $or pain than do most horses% This is particularly si#ni$icant in e"aluatin# the musculoskeletal and #astrointestinal systems% ,ailure to reco#ni(e this can lead to an erroneous or delayed dia#nosis, the results o$ which can sometimes e disastrous% )"eryone has heard the old tales aout what donkeys and mules do or don't do, and aout why they are or are not etter than horses% -ike most in$ormation we recei"e, some is correct, some is incorrect and some is not presented in the correct conte&t% .s an e&le, let's consider lameness in mules% They reportedly ha"e $ewer lamenesses than do horses% This "iew has een around $or decades% /t may or may not e true% 0e$ore the 1234s, mules were workin# animals $rom dra$t*type mares and sired y dra$t* type 5acks% They were doin# the 5o dra$t horses did, and in some cases, were perhaps doin# it etter or more economically% They per$ormed, #enerally, in a reasonaly strai#ht line or loose turn and at a walk and trot% Rarely were they e"er required to work at #reater speeds% Most o$ today's mules are produced $rom our saddle*type per$ormance mares and sired y smaller, more re$ined 5acks% We are askin# the mules to duplicate the maneu"ers o$ our racehorses, ropin# horses, reinin# horses, dri"in# horses, cuttin# horses and others% We ha"e chan#ed our e&pectations o$ our mules as well as their pedi#ree% +ur oser"ations su##est that we are in$usin# all our lameness dispositions into our mules and $ollowin# up with the appropriate trainin# pro#rams to insure the de"elopment o$ the same lamenesses seen in horses% The idea that mules are less likely to ecome lame is at least in part ecause o$ the $act that many o$ the lamenesses will e much more ad"anced in the mule e$ore the animals demonstrate su$$icient lameness to e presented $or e&amination and treatment% )arly impressions also su##est that as we e#in to de"elop lar#e donkeys $or recreational use, we will e#in to see the same prolems that we see in per$ormance horses% The $ollowin# are some rie$ points worth $ilin# in a little*used corner o$ the mind to e resurrected as needed when $aced with mules and donkeys as patients% They are not all* inclusi"e, ut represent the more o$ten asked questions and errors o$ commission% 6 Restraint o$ mules (and to a lesser de#ree, donkeys! o$ten requires a two*phased approach% +ne is to keep the patient in the area where you wish to work, and the other is to distract the patient $rom the procedure ein# per$ormed% The use o$ stocks, chutes, snuin# posts and swin#in# #ates or panels are "ery help$ul and may e supplemented with the twitch, war ridle or other restraint% The $orele# strap and the scotch hole are o$ten "ery use$ul% 7roper use o$ the $orele# or elow strap is one o$ our most use$ul techniques% 6 With mules it is "ery important that you #et it ri#ht the $irst time% 8nsuccess$ul attempts to restrain a mule are positi"e rewards $or ad eha"ior that rapidly ecome a learned skill% 6 9oo$ testers seem to e less discriminatin# in the e&amination o$ mules and donkeys than in horses% 6 . limited numer o$ ner"e locks are allowed in a lameness e&am% The attendin# "eterinarian must use them wisely% 6 /$ apparent lacerations or lesions o"er the $le&ure sur$ace o$ the 5oints are $ound in donkeys, consider that they may e 5ack sores% This syndrome is not a well*de$ined condition, ut it usually starts as a linear ulceration with a ad odor% Many "eterinarians and current literature may call them summer sores% That is not always the case, and there is no e$$ecti"e treatment currently known% 6 Se"ere respiratory distress in donkeys is a cause $or immediate and a##ressi"e dia#nostics and treatment, especially i$ in a herd% Donkeys o$ten ha"e se"ere secondary acterial in$ections a$ter or alon# with equine in$luen(a "irus% This is not so with mules% 6 .ny donkey o$$ $eed $or three to $our days or more should e checked $or hyperlipemia or hyperlipidemia% 6 Chronic non*healin# coronary and lesions in donkeys look like a #ra"el eruption% This is a syndrome o$ donkeys that may persist $or years and may ecome $requent% :eep the toes trimmed short% Check $or sole*penetratin# wounds since they may require remo"al% 6 Radio#raphic anatomy o$ the donkey di#it is not the same as the horse% The mule is minimally di$$erent, i$ at all% 6 Donkey #rowth plates radio#raphically close later than those o$ the horse% Currently, in$ormation is not yet known re#ardin# the mule closure times% 6 Donkeys and mules are more susceptile to equine sarcoids than are horses% 6 Consider $at pones and lar#e neck crests to e permanent% 6 -aminitis in donkeys o$ten occurs in all $our $eet or o$ten in rear $eet only% -aminitis o$ rear $eet will more likely lead to euthanasia than i$ in $ront% Support laminitis in contralateral $oot in the rear due to ascesses or in5ury is "ery common and is o$ten missed y the owner and the attendin# "eterinarian% 6 )ndoscopic anatomy o$ the donkey is not identical to the horse with a tendency $or dorsal collapse o$ the pharyn&% The mule anatomy is not yet well*estalished% 6 )ntropion (ophthalmolo#ic condition! is "ery common in lar#e dra$t ;ack stock% 6 Donkeys can ser"e as hosts $or lun#worms% 6 Strin#halt and upward $i&ation o$ the patella is more common in donkeys and mules than in horses% posted: 14<1=<>44?% -ast updated: 14<1=<>44? Donkey Reproduction by Written by: Da(id #u$h, DVM, MS, DACT, and DACV /ntroduction Donkeys are used throu#hout the world as #uard animals $or protectin# small ruminants (sheep, #oats, llamas!, as companion animals ($or people, $oals, etc%!, halter trainin# (cal"es, $oals!, work (pack, pullin# wa#ons, plowin#, etc%!, ridin# and shows% The mare and donkey are also red to horses to produce mules or hinnies, respecti"ely% Donkey medicine can e $un and rewardin# and a reak $rom routine equine practice% Donkeys come in many si(es, $rom the miniature (@?3 in at the withers! to the mammoth, which may e in e&cess o$ A3 in tall% These si(e di$$erences may alter the practitioner's aility to per$orm some types o$ dia#nostics (e%#% rectal e&amination!% .lthou#h the practitioner will rarely e in"ol"ed with the reproduction o$ donkeys as intensely as they are in horses, a workin# knowled#e o$ donkey reproduction is "aluale% The donkey is similar in many respects to the horse, and equine practitioners, i$ lucky enou#h to e a$$orded the opportunity, can easily adapt to this interestin# species% ,emale Reproduction The 5enny (5ennet! is "ery similar in many reproducti"e aspects to the horse mare% 7uerty is usually attained in 1*> years% Donkeys seem to display less seasonality reported prolon#ed estrus, a lower incidence o$ o"ulations durin# Decemer, shorter estrous cycles $rom May to Septemer and shorter estrus $rom May throu#h +ctoer% Still, these workers reported less Bpartitionin#C in the o"ulatory and ano"ulatory (non*reedin#! season o$ the donkey than in the horse% .lthou#h the estrous cycle has een reported to ran#e $rom >4 to =4 days, it will usually last >?* ?4 days% )strus usually lasts etween 3 and 2 days, with o"ulation A to 3 days a$ter the onset o$ estrus% )strus eha"ior has een characteri(ed y mouth openin# and closin# (occasionally with the neck e&tended!, chompin# with sali"ary drilin#, winkin#, urinatin# and tail risin#% /$ palpation or ultra*sono#raphic e"aluation is carried out, $ollicles D>A*?4 mm should e considered potentially o"ulatory% Multiple o"ulations in mammoth ;ennies may e hi#her than that reported in standard ;ennies% This di$$erence may e similar to the di$$erences in multiple o"ulations as seen in the horse reeds (.raians "ersus Thorou#hreds!% Eestational len#th has een reported to e ?F>*?F= days% ,oal heat usually occurs etween A and 1? days postpartum% The 5enny's cer"i& is usually lon#er than that o$ the mare, with a smaller diameter% The donkey's cer"i& protrudes into the "a#ina, and this protrusion may preclude intrauterine e5aculation, make arti$icial insemination more di$$icult and may e associated with a hi#h incidence o$ post dystocia cer"ical adhesions% Male Reproduction The 5ack (5ackass!, like the 5enny, has many reproducti"e similarities to the horse% 9owe"er, some di$$erences do e&ist% The testes and the penis o$ the 5ack seem to e lar#er than that o$ comparaly si(ed horses% .lthou#h the 5ack and stallion ha"e the same accessory se& #lands, the ampulla is lar#er in the 5ack than the stallion% +ne peculiarity o$ donkey reproduction is the lon#er time it takes $or the 5ack to achie"e an erection and e5aculate% ;acks will usually need A*?4 minutes (compared with 14*11 minutes! to complete a reedin#% The teasin# eha"ior usually includes "ocali(ation, sni$$in# the "ul"a o$ the $emale, $lehmen and one or more mounts e$ore penile e&posure and erection% .lthou#h some seasonal di$$erences in liido are oser"ed, there seems to e little or no alteration in seminal parameters durin# the winter months% .s with the stallion, the 5ack can e trained to ser"ice an arti$icial "a#ina and semen can e collected and used in $resh or cooled arti$icial insemination pro#rams or $ro(en $or $uture use% Donkey semen can e handled similar to that o$ the stallion, and skim milk e&tenders seem use$ul in arti$icial insemination pro#rams% 0reedin# 7ro#rams and Eeneral Reproduction ;ennies can e pasture or hand red% Whene"er a hand*reedin# pro#ram is employed (either with natural reedin# or arti$icial insemination!, an e$$ecti"e teasin# pro#ram will enhance its success% /$ natural reedin# systems are used, the 5enny should e mated the second day o$ estrus, and then at =G hour inter"als until the end o$ Bstandin# heat%C Reproducti"e mana#ement in the 5enny is similar to the mare% Metritis, endometritis, retained $etal memranes, etc% are less common, yet postdystocia "a#inal*cer"ical in5ury is more common% 9owe"er, this may not e the case in certain areas, herds or reeds, and this oser"ation could e counter to others% posted: G<>G<>44?% -ast updated: G<>G<>44?